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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

"Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

- Matthew 24:32-44

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His preparation of the disciples for what is to come. He speaks now of the siege of Jerusalem, which will mean the destruction of the temple, and also the time of His return, the end of the age. He was asked about the signs and times of both by His disciples in Saturday's reading. Jesus continued in yesterday's passage, telling His disciples of the abomination of desolation (as prophesied by Daniel), and that this will be a sign for them to leave Jerusalem. It will be fulfilled in A.D. 70, when the Roman General Titus walked in the Most Holy Place, thus defiling the sanctuary. His watchwords begin, "Take heed that no one deceives you." Jesus warns His disciples not to believe those who tell them that Christ is here or there, because it will not be so, and many false prophets will arise. He says, "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." He continued, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

"Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." To me, this seems like a continuation of His warning about what is to come in Jerusalem, which will indeed happen before "this generation" passes away (in A.D. 70). His warning about the end of the age -- and in particular the Second Coming -- is made so that they do not confuse these two events. When He returns, it will be "as lightning comes from the east and flashes in the west" -- sudden, and unmistakable. It will not be hidden from anyone; this is why they are not to be deceived by those who will claim false christs in the desert or in an inner room during the time of tribulation in Jerusalem that is soon to come, within this generation. The parable of the summer and the fig tree is told for them to keep watch, especially for the sign given of the fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy of the abomination of desolation. This did indeed take place just before the orders were given to burn the temple. However, another traditional interpretation of these words here in these verses is rather to take "this generation" as implying the new race of Christians. My study bible says, "The end is always near, just ahead of us. The unexpected suddenness of Christ's coming will catch people unaware and engaged in earthly pursuits, just as in the days of Noah." This note applies to the verses that are to follow. Whatever their meaning and intent, the early church at Jerusalem was saved due to Jesus' warnings, and escaped the city before destruction during the Roman siege. The ending statement, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away," is an assurance beyond all assurance that His words are true and good, on which we can count as true promise.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left." Here, Jesus' words clearly return to themes of the Second Coming. Even the angels in heaven don't know when this will be, in strong contrast to the warnings about the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple. But the main point here is about preparation: we don't know what day and hour this will happen. Even He does not know! Only His Father in heaven knows this. His intention and warning here is something different from the warnings about war in Jerusalem: it is a warning to be prepared, not to forget, taken up with all the things of daily life -- because it will be just like Noah and the flood. It will come swiftly, suddenly, without preparation at all. He gives us vivid images of two men working in a field, two women grinding at the mill. Some are taken and others are not, just as with those who went with Noah. It is a warning not to be forgetful and complacent, but to know that this hour will catch everyone at just a moment.

"Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." And here is the point: we are to watch. We do not know the hour He is coming, we must not be forgetful of this event and our expectation of it. The byword here is to watch, to be prepared, to be ready for that time. We must be mindful of our Lord and His return; this is the clear intent of His words. In the verses that come in the following readings, Jesus will be give us parables illustrating what it is to be prepared, to be watchful, and mindful of His return.

In yesterday's commentary, I asked what it is that Christ's assurance of His return does for us. We know His promise, it will come -- He will return and all will know when this happens. In today's readings, Jesus teaches us about preparedness for that day and hour. His emphasis is on the fact that no one -- not even the angels, nor Himself -- knows when this will be. Our preparation, therefore, is not in prophecy nor prediction of dates, but in our own preparedness for this event. Our mindfulness, our awareness, watchfulness, is what counts. We remember Him, we remember all His teachings, His love, our relationship to Him. We remember His promise. In so many ways, each day and each moment may be a preparation for the moment none of us knows, the time of His promised return. Are you ready? What do you do, now and here, to be prepared, to be watchful? How do you remember God in your daily life?

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